Back on June 8, the Tigers beat the White Sox 7-2 and were ahead of Chicago by six games in the standings. At the time, the AL Central was really a two-team race.
↵1. Twins | 34-24
2. Tigers | 30-27 | 3.5 GB
3. White Sox | 24-33 | 9.5 GB
Since June 8, things have changed quite a bit. Although the Tigers have played quite well since then thanks to an outstanding homestand where they won eight out of nine games, their record is only two more games above .500 now compared to back on June 8. The Twins haven't played the greatest baseball in the world and are now eight games over .500. The White Sox, on the other hand, have gone from being nine games under .500 on June 8 to now having the same record as Detroit, meaning there is a tie for second place in the AL Central.
↵1. Twins | 41-33
2t. Tigers | 39-34 | 1.5 GB
2t. White Sox | 39-34 | 1.5 GB
So, how have the White Sox gone from being on the verge of a complete and total collapse to being just a game and half out of first place? It's simple -- the White Sox just don't lose anymore. After that 7-2 loss to the Tigers in the opener of that series, Chicago went on to win the next two games 15-3 and 3-0, kicking off an unbelievable run for Chicago. If you go back to June 8, the White Sox have won 15 games and lost only once, and that loss was a 1-0 defeat to the Cubs in a game where both pitchers had a no-hitter late in the game. In fact, the White Sox didn't break up Ted Lilly's no-hit bid until the ninth inning, and they still almost managed to tie the game up afterward.
↵To say the least, there is no hotter team in baseball right now than the White Sox. Unfortunately for Detroit, that means that things are getting a little crowded at the top of the AL Central. Just a few weeks ago it looked like the White Sox were dead and buried, but now the Tigers are going to have to fight them off just to stay in second place behind the Twins.